an episodically published poem
link to beginning
Most of them are here
an hour before curtain
as the contract says
makes a difference
I can recall there was a time
you could be calling places and
two or three would come in
just at the last in time
to get the places for opening
all made up but
the stage manager would be dying
No more
Equity put an end to that
at least they were
ready to say actors were
professionals and why not
So they come in before seven
for an eight o’clock curtain
as well they should
and every actor is ready
They stand onstage
before the house opens
humming and rocking
communicating
with Zen or something
I don’t know
but it seems to have made
all of them get religion
the religion of acting
one of them explained it to me
There’s a mantra
that gets you into the zone
lets you see how sacred
your character is
you believe in the character
you become the character
I don’t know about that:
my list just says it’s
7:06 pm and two actors
have broken the contract
Do I call the stage manager
and tell him so
he can call understudies?
Here they are:
both looking worried
full of excuses
car caught in traffic
huh
tell it to the stage manager
and make it good.
